APN Newsletter - Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

APN at the 7 th Scientific
Steering Committee
Meeting of MAIRS
Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China
23–24 April 2012
Linda Anne Stevenson
Held at Zhangjiajie State Hotel in beautiful
Zhangjiajie, Hunan, China, the 7th Scientific
Steering Committee Meeting of Monsoon Asia Integrated
Regional Study (MAIRS), a core project of
the Earth System Science Partnership, successfully
took place on 23 and 24 April 2012. The local host,
Dr. Heqing Huang welcomed the participants and
expressed his hope for fruitful outcomes.
The meeting was led by Dr. Ailikun, Director of MAIRS
and Prof. Michael Manton, Chair of the MAIRS Scientific
Steering Committee who addressed a number of
important issues in the development of the MAIRS
programme. In particular, Dr. Ailikun expressed three
specific issues that would consume the two-day
meeting: (1) Addressing strategic scenarios and
options for Monsoon Asia: drivers, impacts and vulnerabilities
and response strategies associated with
environmental change; (2) Implementing MAIRS
activities in line with changing scenarios; and (3)
Establishing thematic nodes: drylands; mountain
areas, etc.
Professor Manton also shared the minutes of the
previous meeting highlighting important points
such as the new MAIRS draft Science Plan; integrat-
“ ...
APN and MAIRS
are connected
through a number
of APN-funded
projects
ing MAIRS more with the NASA-LUCC programme;
other core networking activities, including closer
networking with the APN; and funding mechanisms.
In addition, MAIRS is considering convening its first
Open Science Conference sometime in 2013/14 and
request partnership with the APN, particularly for
supporting younger generation of scientists from the
Monsoon Asia Region to participate.
Some of the main highlights of the meeting are summarized
as follows:
1. Urbanization
An important topic discussed was the new
MAIRS urban study and the developing strategic plan.
The study aims to look at the development of urban
areas, well-being, supply, transportation, and energy,
water and food usage, all of which are issues of governance
and planning in particular. In addition, the
study aims to address the issue of “green cities” for
sustainable development.
The four main topics of the strategic plan are: (1)
Development of Asian megacities; (2) Urbanization
and climate; (3) Assessment of resilience and vulnerability
of Asian megacities; and (4) Adaptive urban
governance and urban sustainable planning.
2. Pastoral Systems
Dr. Dennis Ojima talked about an ongoing CDKN-
MAIRS-related study that looks at the Drylands
Pastoral Systems that takes a “coupled human-environment”
(CHE) systems approach. Particularly
encouraging in the realization of this project are the
linkages between research and adaptation and the
potential for deploying various sustainable adaptation
strategies. The legacy of the project itself builds
APN at the 7th Scientific Steering Committee Meeting of MAIRS •
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